TL: hua
Chapter 40: Shen Weinian
Zhong Ming and Ye Qing stood against the wall, hands behind their backs, heads bowed as they exchanged a look.
On the other side, Matthew was busy greeting everyone. He handed out cigarettes he’d bought outside to all the servants, skipping only Tao. Tao didn’t mind; he gave a cold snort and looked at the table in front of Zhong Ming and Ye Qing, on which sat the black dress, neatly folded into a small square. Tao’s eyebrows twitched with an unreadable expression.
He leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, looking at Zhong Ming and winking teasingly. It was a look that clearly said, I didn’t know you had this kind of hobby.
Zhong Ming lowered his eyes and let out a soft sigh.
Madam Mary sat at the head of the table, back straight and hands on her knees, her stern gaze sweeping over the two of them. She frowned when she saw Ye Qing, then looked away as if she didn’t want to look at her a second time, fixing her gaze on Zhong Ming.
She stared at him for a long moment before finally speaking in a low, haunting voice: “If you’re doing everything for her, what do we need her for?”
Ye Qing’s body trembled. She looked at Madam Mary in panic and bowed. “I’m sorry.”
However, Madam Mary didn’t look at her. Her gaze remained on Zhong Ming as her fingers tapped the tabletop.
“There are rules here. Menservants have their duties, and maidservants have theirs,” she said. “We didn’t have a maid before, but we have one now. She should do the work within her own scope of responsibility.”
As she finished, Ye Qing’s face turned deathly pale. Although she hadn’t been an NPC for long, she could tell Madam Mary was old-fashioned and strictly followed rules.
And if she puts it that way, I really am useless, Ye Qing thought. She lacked social experience, but she wasn’t stupid. Through a few days of observation, she had seen that none of the servants here were ordinary; everyone had a role. For example, Jack and the other physically strong menservants worked outside the mansion chopping wood, stoking fires, and repairing roofs. Those were tasks she certainly couldn’t handle.
If I’m useless, will I be killed? Ye Qing’s hands and feet went cold, her face turning white.
Just then, Zhong Ming, standing beside her, spoke up calmly: “But looking after Albert was supposed to be a maid’s job anyway, wasn’t it?”
Madam Mary was instantly silenced. The fine lines at the corners of her eyes twitched.
…That was only because when Albert threw a tantrum, nobody could get anything done for the rest of the day. Madam Mary valued rules, but she valued efficiency more. If Albert were allowed to disrupt the mansion’s activities every day, everything would grind to a halt, which was something she absolutely could not tolerate.
Zhong Ming continued: “Besides, Ye Qing is much better suited for the archives than I am. She has already learned the language here. She reads and writes very well.”
It was true. In less than a week, Ye Qing had completely mastered the Old European language used in this dungeon through books. She already had a foundation in Germanic languages, and combined with her superior memory, learning the language was no challenge at all.
Zhong Ming looked at her and said softly, “Show Madam Mary what you’ve written.”
“…Uh, right!”
Ye Qing snapped out of her daze and scrambled to pull out her leather notebook, opening it for Madam Mary.
On the slightly yellowed pages were key passages Ye Qing had transcribed from books, along with her own annotations. Her handwriting was neat and elegant, her sentences fluent and logical, the unmistakable notes of a top student.
Li Yizhi, standing behind Madam Mary, poked his head out. When he saw a mind map on the page, he was so shocked he nearly dropped his cigarette onto the table.
“…Holy shit.”
He didn’t understand how he had become the only illiterate among the three of them who couldn’t read the text of this haunted house dungeon. He stared at Zhong Ming and Ye Qing in disbelief, looking exactly like a dog that had just been kicked for no reason.
Madam Mary clearly hadn’t expected Ye Qing to have this utility. She blinked, her expression softening slightly.
In reality, even if Ye Qing was completely useless, nothing would have happened to her.
The others might not know, or perhaps they only had a vague inkling, but they weren’t certain. Madam Mary, however, knew better than anyone: Ye Qing had been brought back to life solely to keep Zhong Ming company.
It was simply that she couldn’t tolerate having such useless subordinates, which is why she had always found Ye Qing an eyesore.
Zhong Ming stole a glance at Madam Mary’s expression. He softened his voice and said, “I think Ye Qing and I can swap duties.”
He continued, “From now on, you can safely leave the work in the archives to her.”
Hearing this, Tao, who was leaning against the doorframe, suddenly widened his eyes. He was naturally unwilling to give up this opportunity to be alone with Zhong Ming. He opened his mouth to say something, but after receiving a sharp look from Zhong Ming, he swallowed his words and shut his mouth with a sullen expression.
Zhong Ming lowered his eyes, looked at Madam Mary, and asked respectfully, “Do you think that would be alright?”
In reality, he wasn’t the housekeeper; personnel arrangements like this should be handled by Madam Mary. By taking the initiative to arrange Ye Qing’s placement, he was, strictly speaking, overstepping his bounds.
However, Zhong Ming’s attitude was too impeccable. Standing there with lowered eyes and a gentle voice, he made people unconsciously want to follow his lead. One couldn’t help but think: What’s the harm in letting him have his way?
Madam Mary looked down, flipped a page in Ye Qing’s notebook, and then looked up at Zhong Ming.
“…Even so,” she frowned, the deep lines between her brows making her look very stern, “your dress is far too short. It is highly immodest.”
Zhong Ming: “…”
Is she ever going to let this go?
He heard several muffled snickers. Turning his head, he saw several people looking down and covering their mouths; it was impossible to tell who exactly was laughing.
Zhong Ming pursed his lips, feeling as though he had returned to the moment when Madam Mary first ordered him not to wear makeup. With a sharp snap, Madam Mary closed the notebook and shot him a dissatisfied look, muttering under her breath.
“No child from a good family would expose their legs like that.”
Even someone as calm as Zhong Ming couldn’t help but feel his cheeks burn.
At that moment, Madam Mary looked up and glared at the menservants behind them, barking sharply: “What does this have to do with any of you? Get back to work, all of you!”
The laughter ceased instantly. With somber expressions, the crowd scattered like startled birds.
Ye Qing vaguely felt like she had escaped a disaster. She breathed a sigh of relief in secret and shot an uneasy look at Zhong Ming. Once everyone had left, Madam Mary exhaled slowly, stood up from her seat, turned around, and pulled a paper bag out of a nearby cabinet.
Zhong Ming watched her turn back and pull the contents out of the bag, his eyes widening slightly—
It was a stack of clothing, and judging by the thickness, it was a long dress. The fabric appeared incredibly light and soft, giving off a faint shimmer under the gentle lamplight. Zhong Ming’s gaze traveled down the dress until he saw several sparks of emerald green at the neckline. Three buttons were sewn onto the front collar. The buttons were made of emerald gemstones, tightly encircled by a ring of tiny, sparkling white diamonds, looking exceptionally magnificent under the light.
“Wow,” Ye Qing exclaimed, her eyes wide with wonder. “It’s so beautiful.”
The corner of Zhong Ming’s eyebrow twitched. A sudden, bad premonition bubbled up in his heart.
Sure enough, a moment later, Madam Mary handed the stack of clothes to him and said in a low voice: “Take these and wear them. The Duke prepared these for you.”
Zhong Ming’s eyelashes fluttered as he stared in shock.
Madam Mary placed the clothes in his hands and continued, “His Grace said you may wear whatever you wish. If you dislike the style, it can be altered, but the dress cannot be too short.”
Zhong Ming took the clothes in a daze, his gaze falling on the finely stitched long dress in his hands. He knew how to sew himself; a quick glance told him these dresses were exactly his size. Judging by the craftsmanship and design, these were clearly not made in a day or two.
Zhong Ming suddenly realized that the Duke had likely known he was secretly wearing dresses for a long time.
Yet, the man had waited until today to bring the clothes out.
The Duke had also presumably consented to the swap of duties between him and Ye Qing, which is why he hadn’t said anything. The Duke’s attitude essentially dictated Madam Mary’s. This meant that even if Zhong Ming hadn’t spoken up just now, Madam Mary would likely have agreed anyway.
Zhong Ming felt like he was about to suffocate.
Ye Qing, who had been staring at the exquisite dress in Zhong Ming’s hands, turned her head only to see his face and gasped, her eyes wide: “Zhong Ming, why is your face so red! Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
Zhong Ming stiffened and shifted his gaze toward her.
Meeting his eyes, Ye Qing gaped blankly. She clearly detected a hint of disgust in Zhong Ming’s eyes, leaving her wondering what on earth she had done to make Mommy angry.
–
Zhong Ming was so flustered and annoyed that he didn’t sleep well all night.
The next day, he woke up with faint dark circles under his eyes. He took a long, slow breath, finally feeling the stifling sensation in his chest dissipate a bit.
Then, he turned his head and saw the two long dresses hanging behind the door. His breath hitched instantly. The memories of yesterday came rushing back.
He felt as though he had been played.
Zhong Ming pursed his lips and gave himself a few mental pep talks, but he still couldn’t bring himself to put on the dresses the Duke had prepared for him the moment he got out of bed. If the size really turned out to be perfect, Zhong Ming felt he would only be angrier.
Thus, he decided to go out for a walk to clear his head before breakfast.
In the early morning, the air around the mansion was so clean it was almost transparent, tinged with a slight mist and the fresh scent of forest vegetation. Simply breathing it improves one’s mood.
Zhong Ming had a preferred walking route, usually choosing the path with the fewest people. He would cut through the back kitchen, bypass the garden, and pass by two small warehouses used for storing wood and charcoal. There were fewer people there, and through the gap between the two warehouses, one could directly see the snow-covered valley in the distance. Zhong Ming liked to sit quietly on the kitchen steps for a while before heading back to the dining room.
However, today, an obstacle appeared on his usual route.
Zhong Ming watched as someone not far away in the clearing was on all fours, crawling on the ground as if searching for something. He paused and instinctively hid behind one of the warehouses.
“Where is it… where is it? Eh… why can’t I find it…”
The person crawling on the ground was a youth. His head hung low, and his somewhat long hair fell forward to hide his face, making his expression unreadable. He looked a mess; his white shirt and jeans were covered in dirt. His palms pressed against the ground, rubbing across the surface inch by inch as if searching for something.
Zhong Ming spotted a pair of black-rimmed glasses not far from the man’s right hand.
The youth was likely severely nearsighted; even though the glasses were right by his hand, he couldn’t see them and was instead crawling in the opposite direction.
“Where on earth is it… ah, where is it…”
The man murmured in confusion and distress as he searched, his voice trembling slightly with helplessness. At the same time, he was moving further and further away from his glasses, making one instinctively want to step forward and help him.
But Zhong Ming did not move.
Standing in the shadow of the shed, he looked at the black-framed glasses on the ground and noticed the lenses were shattered. Shards of glass were scattered around; it didn’t look like the result of an accidental drop. Those glasses looked more like they had been stepped on and crushed.
Just then, a leg suddenly appeared in Zhong Ming’s field of vision.
Someone stepped out from the back kitchen and kicked the youth squarely in the shoulder, sending him rolling onto the ground.
“Still looking? You really are fucking blind.”
A low chuckle rang out. Zhong Ming’s eyes widened slightly as he saw a tall youth saunter over to the victim, who was now groaning in pain.
The newcomer held a cigarette in his right hand and wore a loose black hoodie with the words Balenciaga prominently printed on the back, as if he had specifically chosen the piece with the largest logo from the latest season.
The kick had left a footprint on the youth’s white clothes. He curled into a ball, clutching his shoulder in obvious agony. The tall youth spat at him, glancing around with the cigarette dangling from his lips, his dyed purple hair swaying. Then, he spotted the black-rimmed glasses on the ground, walked over, and placed his foot directly on them.
Crack.
With a crisp snap, the glasses were crushed into fragments under his sneaker.
Hearing the sound, the youth on the ground flinched. Seeming to realize something, he looked up and instinctively reached out toward the source of the noise.
“ARRGH!!!”
In the next instant, the thick, air-cushioned sneaker stomped down on his fingers, grinding down hard as if snuffing out a cigarette butt.
Amidst the youth’s painful cries, the tall male smirked and shifted his foot to step on the side of the youth’s face. “Hey, you can probably talk now, right? This is tiring for me, too.”
He twisted the sole of his shoe, rubbing it against the young’s cheek. The sneaker had a special design, and several small pebbles were caught in the treads of the sole. Those sharp stones pressed against the youth’s face, scraping many small bloody gashes into his skin as the foot ground down.
“Ugh… ah…”
The youth on the ground seemed to be in extreme pain. He let out a muffled sound under the shoe and tried to grab the tall male’s pant leg. However, just as he tried to resist, someone else delivered a brutal kick to his arm.
A group of people suddenly appeared and surrounded him.
Zhong Ming’s eyes widened as he recognized them. These were the people Feng Tang had beaten half to death just yesterday. The leader, a guy with a buzz cut, seemed completely unfazed by yesterday’s thrashing. With a smirk on his face, he wound up like he was kicking a soccer ball and delivered a heavy blow to the youth’s back.
As the youth let out a pained groan, the buzz cut turned his head and smiled at the tall male.
“Shen Weinian, I didn’t expect this guy to be so tough.”
The youth looked up, took a deep breath towards the sky, and shook his head, seemingly resigned. Then, he crouched down and forcefully stubbed out the still-burning cigarette butt on the youth’s hand.
The person called ‘Shen Weinian’ narrowed his eyes at the youth rolling in pain on the ground and said slowly: “It’s about time you talked. We don’t have time to keep wasting with you.”
“Yesterday, why was it only you that the spider didn’t attack?”
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